The Holy Spirit Adoration Chapel. I fell in love to this serene and solemn place about 23 years ago during my 6th Grade. Together with my equally excited classmates, we all prodded our religious instruction teacher to bring us there and let us witness even for just a couple of hours how the monks live their holy and prayerful lives.

Filled with excitement, we started the day early the following Saturday and took a jeepney that drove more than 20 kilometers distance away from the cit proper. The driver dropped our group at the designated jeepney stop that had a street light banner with the name of place, “Bangkal”, written on it in bold letters. The concrete road that would lead us to the chapel was kinda hard to tread for first timers because it was uphill.

Nevertheless, it was a peaceful 15-minute hike that made us pass through a cloister of retreat houses with different Christian flags and banners displayed outside the buildings. Suddenly, it wasn’t hard to feel at home. Surrounded by nature’s serenity and lush greenery, shady trees and birds chirping, we couldn’t help but be in a reflective mood.

Finally, as we entered the chapel, we saw the monks in pink and white ensemble, praying and singing hymns. For a while, I felt a bit inadequate and awed by these women spending most of their lives talking to God and doing charitable works. We wrote and dropped our petitions in a box together with our love offering (which can be in cash or in kind) before we left. It was such a liberating moment for me.

Now that I have a family of my own, I try to make it a devotion to bring them there most Sunday mornings for the Holy Mass. I just had to share the wonderful feeling.